Assess Albert Speer’s role in the Nazi War Machine
Uploaded by RAJS BITCH on Aug 06, 2007
Assess Albert Speer’s role in the Nazi War Machine
Albert Speer was appointed as minister for Armaments and munitions in February 1942. Speer played an invaluable role in the Nazi War Machine during the next three years of the Second World War. His effectiveness as minister for armaments and munitions led to phenomenal increases in the production of armaments, and ultimately prolonging the war for another one to two years which greatly impacted on the functioning of the War Machine. Speer’s major accomplishments as minister for armaments and munitions were, the standardization of weapons and specialization of factories. Implementing a Total War policy in Germany. The mobilization of the workforce in relation to the armament production.
It became clear to Speer that the war would not be over quickly and the German War machine needed a sustained domestic war production. When Speer was given the position of minister for armaments and munitions, he knew nothing of armaments, weapons and war but he was a genius at organization. He mobilized the German industry by introducing principles of mass production, “democratic” economic leadership, improvisation and a general anti-bureaucratic approach which resulted in a phenomenal increase in the German war production rate. In the first 6 months in office Speer was able to increase the production of guns by 27%, tanks by 25% and ammunition by 97%. This was significant for the war machine as by 1944 armament production in general increased by more than 300%, and it must be noted that this had been achieved by Speer in 1944 during the height of the allied Strategic bombing campaign. (Kaldor) “Speer’s administration in the course of the following two and a half years was the single great success within the German war economy can record…”. Due to the increase in armament and munitions production in general this meant that the Germany military would be able sustain battles as a result of more munitions and weapons available and its strong supply. “He (Speer) is usually credited…with prolonging the war for several months in Giving the German military a new lease of life by sharply raising the efficiency of the German arms industry” (Professor Winston Higins). Then is must be stated Speer’s had an important role in the Nazi War machine as he greatly contributed to the Nazi war effort as there was an increase in armaments and munitions, which greatly increased the fighting efficiency of the...